The internet has continued to grow popular for its capability of allowing consumers to purchase products from their very own seats. No longer is it necessary to venture to the store to pick up the latest CD or pair of jeans. With a credit card and a simple click of the mouse, internet users are finding it extremely convenient to shop on the web as more and more distributors are marketing their products online. 

Not only does the net give consumers the opportunity to purchase products, but it allows them to research different items in case they are unfamiliar with some of the specifics.  Amazon.com, one the most notable online distributor of books, movies, and various technological appliances, provides several customer ratings in addition to product features so that its customers are fully aware of their investment. Amazon.com has also been recognized as a lucrative marketplace where buyers and sellers can make offers for used products.

The web also provides pricing information for all of the items that would normally be found in the store. Sites such as pricegrabber.com and bizrate.com contain sizeable databases of prices for millions of consumer products, and with the simple click of a button one can obtain the lowest price, highest price, and active locations carrying a particular item. Users of these sites have stated that these features are fast, simple, and quite convenient.

But just how popular has internet shopping become? A company called Accenture researched 600 U.S. customers and found that 66% of the respondents still prefer to shop at the physical stores rather that online. However, roughly 70% did claim that they utilized the services on the internet to compare prices before purchasing. Not surprisingly, only 13% stated that they felt the internet was of no significance in their shopping experience (Business Wire, April 4, 2007).

Another factor to consider when shopping online is the duration of time it takes to actually receive a product. For those in need of a quick, feasible Mother’s Day gift, the internet may not be the most practical solution as it can take anywhere from 3-5 days for most customers to receive their items. In contrast, if time is not a concern, some people find no reason to travel to the store to pick up Jay Z’s hot CD or a recent DVD new release.

In spite of the online shopping extravaganza, most customers feel that better customer service should be provided both online and at the actual retail locations.  In the survey mentioned above, more than two-thirds stated that the check-out lines are too long and over 50% claimed that there were not enough sales representatives. Whatever the case may be, the internet shopping boom has evidently become a phenomenon, and there is still plenty room for improvement.

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